AZ has not been able to put an end to the lesser series of the last few weeks. On the last day of play, the team of trainer Pascal Jansen lost 1-3 to RKC Waalwijk and therefore goes into the play-offs with a bad feeling. It will meet next Thursday
In the last game of the season, AZ mainly wanted to refuel with confidence towards the play-offs. The Alkmaarders forgot to reward themselves against Sparta, Ajax and FC Utrecht, so that Pascal Jansen’s team was sentenced to the post-competition for a place in the preliminary round of the Conference League. The opponent in the play-offs could be five teams in advance: NEC, sc Heerenveen, FC Groningen, Go Ahead Eagles and SC Cambuur.
at arrears
AZ had two excellent opportunities in the first ten minutes via Jesper Karlsson and Vangelis Pavlidis to take the lead early on. Completely against the ratio, the Waalwijkers made the opening goal. Finn Stokkers was outlawed and pushed in the 0-1 after a low cross from the right.
The home team was close to equalizing because RKC almost worked the ball into its own goal, but goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen barely took the ball away. A few minutes later, the closing post was again on target with a free kick by Jesper Karlsson, which he cleverly tapped out of the corner. On the stroke of half-time, AZ was level. Dani de Wit headed hard from a corner: 1-1.
RKC strikes
In the second half, AZ was unable to break much against RKC. On the other hand, the visitors took the lead for the second time in the afternoon. Juriën Daari put the team from Brabant on 1-2 halfway through the second half. De Wit then seemed to answer quickly, but his goal was rejected after intervention by VAR. Ten minutes before the end, Roy Kuijpers brought the visitors 1-3 after a good counter.
On Thursday at 6.45 pm, AZ will play in the semi-finals of the play-offs against sc Heerenveen, which finished eighth in the Eredivisie. The return in Alkmaar will follow on Sunday.
AZ setup: Vindahl; Witry (Reijnders/61), Hatzidiakos (Beukema/61), Martins Indi, Wijndal; Clasie, Midtsjö, De Wit; Evjen (Van Brederode/80), Pavlidis (Aboukhlal/80), Karlsson